Answering Interview Questions: When Someone Gets the Promotion You Deserve

People often say that you can’t always get what you want. Regardless of how hard you try, what is not meant for you is not meant for you. One good example is a job promotion. Even if you did everything right—you met every deadline and handled every task perfectly—the results might still be less than optimal.

A possible interview question can be related to this—namely, “What will you do if a team member gets a promotion that you deserved to get?” This is a tough question to answer since emotions might be involved, but before knowing how to handle this question, it is helpful to understand why interviewers ask it:

They want to know how you’re going to act or respond;

They want to assess how much value you place on work ethic; and

They want to know how you’re going to deal with the boss and the coworker who got the promotion.

So, how do you answer the question?

Stay calm while answering the question. Don’t show signs of negativity about it even though it’s a tricky situation because it’s frustrating to not be rewarded for your hard work. However, it’s also important to note that in business, you’re always expected to be professional in any situation.

Be objective about your answer. Some people tend to be emotional when answering these kinds of questions, but don’t let your emotions cause you to say something you shouldn’t. Stay positive, and don’t let your feelings take over.

Not being able to get the promotion you’ve been working hard for is a tough situation. The question is how you’re going to deal with it, with your boss, and with the employee who got it. That’s what the interviewer wants to know: how you’re going to handle the situation. Keep your answer simple, straightforward, and always positive.

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 40,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.